Show-case door.



0. L. SMITH. SHOW CASE DOOR.

APPLICATION FILED APR.26| IQH.

Patented Nov. 30, 1915.

2 SHEETSSHEET l.

witnessesfigay 4. M.

0. L. SMITH.

SHOW CASE DOOR. APP'ucATwN men APR.26, m1.

Patented Nov. 30, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- COLUMBIA PLANoanArH Warren V sparse arana @FFKQE,

oscAR 1 SMITH, or GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN- snow-case noon.

ZhaZZ-wiw'm, it mag concern: I 2 Be it known that I, OsoAR L, SMITH, a:

citizen of the United States, residingv at Grand Rapids, in the county of Kent and;

' State of Michigan, have invented an Im provement in Show-Case Doors, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, isa specification, like numerals on the drawings representing like parts. i

The invention to=be hereinafter described relates to display cases used in stores and like places for the display of goods, and more particularly it relates to the door or doors-with which suchcasesare provided.-

Display cases,for therpurposes stated, are

usually formed of glass inwhole orin part, and a rack adapted; to j support goods s movable to and from aposition-within the case, so that when atthe front of the case thegoods may bereadily inspected and when at its position within the case the goods maybe protected from dust, dirt, or hang dling by unauthorized persons. To efiectually secure the results soughathe case must 7 be providedwith some kind of-a closure or aims and purposes of the present invention 7 are to prov de a show case with a sliding door which, when in closed position, shall occupy the space between the top and bottom of the case at the frontlthereof and when in open position may extend along the side of the case, all as will best be made clear from the following description and ac- I companylng drawings of one form of the 111- vention suited to the intended purposes.

In the drawing:- Figure 1 is a plan View,

with parts broken away, of a show case embodying the form of the present invention, the top of the case being removedito better illustrate the parts beneath; Fig. 2lis'a View looking in the direction of the arrow, Fig.

specificationo'f Letters Ia tent. Application fi lcdApril 26, 1911'. Seria=1-1\To.- 623,337.

Patented Nov; 30,1915,

1-, showing the relatiom of parts when; the door is in open poslt'lom a portion of the.

door being broken away; F ig. 3'is asection The-show case proper maybeoii any suit able design or shape desired and comp-rises the top 1, bottom 2, sides: 3, and back- 4, Thetop, sides and back of the-case arepreferably formed of lass'or a framework having glass panels 0 secured in place any.

suitable means. 7 i

Movable to and from a position within the show case is a rack 6- having supporting portions of desired form'and shape, as the arms 7 3,; adapted to support goods to be displayed: Inthe form of the} device shown, the track maybe supportedby a suitable car-. riage ortruck beneath" the bottom 2 of the case, such carriage or truck not being herein;

shown or described as its details are not of the-present invention. A slot 8 in the bot-V tomof th'e'case perm tsthe rack to be'moved to and fromits IJOSltlO'IL within the case,

though, obviously, other meansmay be enir y -g a. V

In: the form of the invention show-n two doors are employed, butobviously the number of such doors may be varied as circumstances dictate, but since they are ormay be of, th /same general character a description of one and-its operative and supporting con- 1 nectinns'with the case will-be suflicient.- V

Mounted on or secured to th e bottoin-2 of theshow case is a track 9 preferably formed as an angle iron, see Figs. 3 and 4, said track V extendingv not only along the front of case ut havlnga side portion extending toward the b ack of the case and substantially parallel to the side of the case. ltjwill he noted thatthe portion ofthe track 9 at the front ofthe case is not parallel to the front edge'hut extends inward gradually as it appreaches the median line of the case. the

purpose of which will hereinafterappear.

The doorwhich may be of usual frame work carrying the usual glasspanel 10 has secured thereto a caster or other rolling-sup.- 7

port, which, as the door isslid to'and from closed position travels upon the track 9, said caster or other rolhngsupport constituting one of the doorsustaining elements. In the I form of invention shown," the door lO'is pr vided with a'vbracket' 11 having guiding lugs 12,12, for the stem 13 of the caster carry ing yoke14= in which is rotatably mounted the caster 15. At the upper portion of the bracket 11 is. a lug 16, through which extends the adjustable bearing screw 17', the

end whereof finds a seat in the upperportion of the caster stem 13, as shown. A set nut V 18 may be employed to secure the bearing screw 17 in adjusted position.

From the construction thu'sfar described,

it will be noted that the caster 15 constitutes the main supporting means for the door 10,

and that'by proper. manipulation of the ad- .recess'edat 19,,so that the caster yoke and caster may not be nient." I

The track 9 is preferablysecured in a groove 20 so that it offers no projection above the surfaceof the bottom 2 of the case, the top of the track being flush with the surface of the said bottom, as shown, Figs. 3 and 4.

obstructed in such move- To direct the upper edge or top of the door 10 in its opening and closing movei I ments, there is provided a guide, of any desired character, which intheform of'invention shown comprises a roller 21 secured to the top portion ofthe door in the vertical plane passing transversely of the door through the axis of the caster stem 18, Figs. 2 and 3. Thus while the axis of the roller 21 and the caster stem 13 are in the same vertical plane passing transversely of the door 10, the axes of'said roller and stem are not necessarily in the'same vertical line, see Fig. 3. a

Secured to a bead 22 beneath the top of the case. is a guide or way 23, which, in the form of the invention shown, comprises an inverted U; strip adapted to. receive the roller 21. The guide 23 extends along the front of'the case at the top and is parallel to the front edge of the case, and has its side portionturned into parallelism with theside of the case, see Figs. 1 and 2.

From the construction described, it 'will' be noted. that as the door 10 moves from its closed position, indicated by full lines at the left of Fig. 1,.to its open position indicated at the right, Fig. 1, the caster 15 moves along the track9 at the bottom of the case and constitutes the main support of the door, while the roller 21 moves in the guide or way 23, and since the axes oftheroller 21 and the caster stem 13 are not in vertical: alinement, it follows that the track 9 and guide or way 23 are non-parallel at the front portion of the case where the door has both a sliding and turning movement as it cated at a point nearer one end of the door than the other and additional guiding means be provided for. the door. In the illustrated form of the invention, the caster 15 and roller 21 are disposed nearer that end of the doorwhich is adjacent the side of the case when the door is closed; thus the door has a tendency to tilt downward at its other or free end. 'lo counteractthis tendency, and provide guiding means for the end of the door adjacent the side of the case, a track 21 is secured to the head 22 parallel to the side of the "case and in this runs one or more rolls 25, 26 of a shoe 27, Figs. 1 and 2, pivot ally connected to the upper portion of the door as at 28, the construction being such that the rolls 25 and 26 guide the shoe in a direction toward and from the back of the case as the door is opened and closed, the

pivotal connection of the shoe permitting it to accommodate its angular relation with the door, as the latter is turned. It willbe noted also that any lifting tendency at therear of the door will be transmitted as pressure by the pivoted shoe and rolls upon the track 24. Thusthe shoe 27 pivotally connected at a convenient upper portion of the door and projecting as an arm or bracket therefrom formsan extended bearing for L L roll 29, Figs. 2 and 4, adapted to travel in the straight guide or way 30 formed preferably as a groove in the bottom of the case parallel to the side of said' case and track 24.

' From the construction described it will be seen that the weightv of the door is mainly sustained by thecaster 15, and is guided by the roller 21, the shoe 27 and roller 29 as the door is moved to open andclosed' position and vice versa. As the door is opened, the

side of the case until parallel therewith,

whereupon it may be moved bodily backward, as indicated by Fig. 1, so that When portion thereof is well within the case, leaving little if any end portion projecting beyond the front of the case.

Obviously, one or two doors may be emfinally in position the entire door or a largeployed for each case, andsome ofthe details of the construction be'variedwithin the true scope of the invention as defined by the" claims.,- For the purposes of identification, the edge of the door which is. next toxthe side wall of the case when thedoor is in. closed and open position may be termed the rearedge and theedge which passes over the front of the case duringopening, or" closing movement may be known as the .:fr,ont,-;, edge said terms being for identification" and not limitation. I

What is claimedis: a I

1. The combination with a cabinet having an open front and provided with walls at the top and bottom thereof, of a door closing said opening, cotiperating guides and projections in the cabinet and on the door permitting said door to swing and during its swinging movement to move laterally and' comprising guides fixed to the top and bot- 7 tom walls of the cabinetand projectionsattached to the door and cooperating witlrthe guides in all positions of the door and bearing arm hinged to the door and extendmg into the cabinet and having its lnner end cooperating with the guide on said top wall. 3. The combination with a cabinet having an open front and comprising bottom and I top walls and a door ttingsaid opening, of

means for mounting the door'in the cabinet comprising guides fixed to the top and bottom walls of the cabinet and projections attached to the door and cooperating with the guides, said guides and projections being so disposed that duringthe opening movement of the door it is caused to slide laterally and recede into the cabinet,an' arm attached to the door having an end traveling in one of the guides and forming a bearing spaced from the door. c

L. In a display device, the combination of a case or cabinet, a. horizontally movable door for said case or cabinet, a rolling support in pivotal relation with the lower portion of the door between the front and .rear edges of the door, a guide at the lower part of the case having straight portions at the sides and front and a connecting curved portion on which said rolling support moves, a guide at the top of the case, and a shoe supported by and pivotally connected to the; upper portion of the door at the rear there of and bearing under said guide at the top track as the door "i's opened and closed,a guiding roll connected to the doorin the same transverse plane as the axis of the,

of the case. p

.5. In a display devlce, the combination of a case or cabinet, a sliding door movable 'horizontally to from closed POSlt lOIlffl,

guide at thertop candibottom of the case or cabinet extending along the front and sides thereof, eachhavinga curved part connect ing-the front, andside portions, a rolling support, connected to the door nearer the rear than the front edge and traveling on the guide at the bottom of the case or cabinet, a projectionat. the top of the door. to engagethe guide at the top of the case or cabinet, and an arm pivotally connected to the rearv portion of the door at the upper part thereof and engagingbe'neath the top ofthe case or cabinet to prevent tiltingof the door in a vertical plane. 1

6. In a display device, the combination of a case, an upright door movable horizontally to and from closed position, guides at the top and bottom of the case for guiding the door in its opening and closing movements, one of said guides being parallel to the front of the caseand the other of said guides extending inwardly from the side of the case as it .approaches the median line of the case at'the front thereof, a unitary rolling support between the front and rear edges of the door engaging said inwardly inclined guidefor supporting the weight of the door, and a projection from thedoor engaging the other of said guides said guides at the side of the case being parallel.

7. In a display device, the combination of a case, a horizontallysliding door therefor, a track on the bottom of the case extending along the front and directed toward the in-- terior'of the case as it approaches the median line of the case, a' roller secured to the door between its front and rear edges and. running on said track, saidroller supporting the entire weight of the door, means for adjusting said roller with respect to the door, and I sliding connections between the rear edge of the door and the case to prevent tilting movement of the door in a vertical plane.

In a display device, the combination of a show case, atrack having a straight portion extending along. the front of the case anda .straight'portion extending along the side ofthe case, a door, a rolling support f connected to said door and traveling on said a showcase, a track havinga straight poi" 131011 extending along the front of the'case and a strai ht oortion extendin alon the Z3 b D 111.5 track as the door is opened and closed, a

side of thecase,a door, a rolling supportconnected to said door and traveling on said rolling support, a guide on the case engaged In testimony whereof, I have signed my by said guiding r011, a'straight guide or Way name to thisspecification, in the presence of secured to the case and extending toward two subscribing Witnesses. I the rear thereof, and a shoe pivotally con- OSCAR L. SMITH.

5 nected to the door and cotiperating with 1 Witnesses:

said guide or'way as the door is opened and AMELIA M. Ross, closed; I LIAY A. HURLEY.

Copies of this patent mey be obtained for fivecents each; by addressing the Cemmissionerof Patents, Washington, 1). c. e e 

